High N' Wicked Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Holy crap, first review. I will lend the proper gravity this situation deserves. Aroma is decently pungent with some odd elements; ginger, butterscotch, soy sauce, scallion, cotton candy, sour tamarind, bubblegum, cola, and wood in the form of cedar. I know reading that it sounds kind of gross, but there is enough complexity that it kind of grows on you. Slightest hint of ethanol but I didn’t find it to be a big deal. Palate features traditional caramel and vanilla followed by big black cherry notes. If you ever thought you’ve tasted black cherry in a bourbon, you haven’t compared to this one. Almost cherry Coke like. Hint of Bananas Foster. Barrel char kicks in around the mid palate. Flavors are pretty darn rounded; an unexpected plus. Finish features more black cherry which is not a bad thing. Also cinnamon bun, fresh cracked black pepper, and sweet oak. Some youngish heat but I would consider it a minor flaw. Mouthfeel is nicely viscous while also being effervescent/prickly in a good way. Not sure where this is sourced from; part of me wants to say Barton because of the trademark banana note, but it’s pretty subdued. Definitely in the realm of Barton/Old Forester as far as flavor profile. I like this. Do I $80 like it? Grrrr…maybe not. I’d say it’s better than similar whiskei such as 1792 BIB, 1792 FP, and OF 1920, but all of those are $30-$40 cheaper. If this was $50 it’d be a no-brainer. At $80? Would be a 3.99 if such rating existed. Since it doesnt, a reluctant 3.75.